xxiv, 286 pages : 25 cm

"The Romans developed sophisticated methods for managing hygiene, including aqueducts for moving water from one place to another, sewers for removing used water from baths and runoff from walkways and roads, and public and private latrines. Through the archeological record, graffiti, sanitation-related paintings, and literature, Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow explores this little-known world of bathrooms and sewers, offering unique insights into Roman sanitation, engineering, urban planning and development, hygiene, and public health. Focusing on the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Ostia, and Rome, Koloski-Ostrow's work challenges common perceptions of Romans' social customs, beliefs about health, tolerance for filth in their cities, and attitudes toward privacy. In charting the complex history of sanitary customs from the late republic to the early empire, Koloski-Ostrow reveals the origins of waste removal technologies and their implications for urban health, past and present"--Provided by publisher

Includes bibliographical references and index

An introduction to sanitation in Roman Italy and urban case studies of the best-preserved public latrines -- "Black holes" in ancient space : exploring hygiene and sanitation through cross-cultural anthropology and archaeological theory -- Understanding Roman sanitation from archaeology : toilets, sewers, and water systems -- Pinpointing behaviors, attitudes, and ideals for Roman toilets -- Finding social meaning about sanitation in written and painted sources

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